Means for securing top lifts to shoe heels



J1me 1963 s. REIECHE'L 3,094,793

MEANS FOR SECURING TOP LIFTS we sacs HEELS Filed. June 20, 1961 INVE'NFOR \Sie-gm umf Keir/Eel" Affa United States Patent 3,094,793 MEANS FOR SECURING TOP LIFTS T0 SHOE HEELS Siegmund Reichel, Bensberg-Refrath, Germany, assignor to Acla-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Cologne-Mulheim,

Germany, a firm Filed June 20, 1961, Ser. No. 118,347 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 6, 1960 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-36) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in means for securing top lifts to shoe heels and particularly to heels of ladies shoes.

It has heretofore been the practice of securing top lifts on the heels of ladies shoes by driving in thin nails or a single thick pin through the top lift into the shoe heel proper and for larger size top lifts use was also made of an adhesive between the lift and the shoe heel proper so as to more satisfactorily secure the covering leather of the heel body by means of the top lift. With the use of nails or pins, the heads thereof were usually embedded to some degree in the top lift and constituted the retaining means for the top lift. In many instances, the top lift is displaced relative to the heel after a short period of time and such action generally bends the retaining nails or other elements with the ultimate loss of the heel lift. Also, the previous methods employed in mounting heel lifts on shoe heels embodied pins and nails driven through the heel lift into the shoe heel and when the heel lift would wear down, the heads of the nails or pins would become exposed, resulting in damage to floors and other tread surfaces.

The primary object of the present invention is to improve the means for attaching top lifts to shoe heels and particularly heels of the spindle type where the top lifts are quite small, and to effect the attachment of the extremely small top lift to a shoe of such character there is provided a sleeve, preferably metallic, that surrounds the lower end of the shoe heel to protect the leather covering thereof and also surrounds the upper portion of the top lift with the lower end of the sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the tread surface of the top lift.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a metallic sleeve to surround the lower end of the spindle type shoe heel and the upper end of a top lift with an interfitting connection between the sleeve and top lift and with the top [lift and sleeve further anchored in position through the medium of an adhesive.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means for securing top lifts to shoe heels preferably of the spindle type by providing a dowel extension on the top lift to enter a pocket in the shoe heel with a metallic sleeve surrounding the lower end of the shoe heel and the upper end of the top lift and interfittingly engaged therewith.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means for securing top lifts to shoe heels of the foregoing character wherein a metal pin has a headed end thereof embedded in a top lift and received in a guide tube set into the lower end of the shoe heel with the metallic sleeve surrounding the lower end of the heel and the upper end of the top lift and interfittingly engaged with the top lift.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a ladies shoe heel of the spindle type with the top lift 3,094,793 Patented June 25, 1963 ICC , secured thereto by means of a surrounding sleeve with the lower end of the sleeve embedded in the top lift,

. showing an inwardly directed annular flange spaced from the lower end of the sleeve and embedded in the top lift,

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing an inwardly directed annular bead on the sleeve interfittingly engaged with the upper end of the top lift,

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a dowel projection on the top lift, received in a recess in the shoe heel, and

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the dowel pin having a headed end embedded in the top lift.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the ladies shoe heel 1 is covered in the conventional manner by leather 2 or similar material and the leather covering extends inwardly for a short distance over the lower end of the heel 3 as illustrated in all of the figures.

To secure the top lift 4 to the lower end of the heel 1, there is provided a sleeve 5, preferably metallic, and having a cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the shape of the heel as illustrated in FIG. 2, and this sleeve 5 extends upwardly on the heel for a short distance as illustrated to protect the leather or other covering 2. The lower end of the sleeve has an inwardly directed flange 6 that is set into the top lift 4 to retain the lift in assembled relation with the sleeve and a suitable adhesive is placed between the sleeve 5, heel covering 2, the bottom 3 of the heel and the upper surface of the top lift 4. The sleeve initially has frictional contact with the lower end of the shoe heel and by the application of an adhesive the sleeve is securely attached to the shoe heel, and by its interfitting connection 6 with the top lift 4, the top lift is securely and safely retained in assembled relation with the shoe heel.

In the form of invention shown in FIG. 3, the sleeve 7 that surrounds the lower end of the heel 1 has an inwardly directed flange 7a spaced from the lower end of the sleeve 7 that is embedded in the top lift 8, with the lower end of the sleeve terminating in a sufliciently spaced distance from the tread surface of the top lift. In this form of the invention an adhesive is also employed between the various elements.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the sleeve 9 has an inwardly directed bead 9a intermediate its upper and lower ends with the bead lying juxtaposed to the bottom of the shoe heel 1 and interfittingly engaging the upper end of the top lift 10 by entering a recess 10a therein.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the means for securing a top lift to a shoe heel of the foregoing character comprises the sleeve 9 with the inwardly directed bead 9a that engages in the recess 10a in the top lift 11. In this form of the invention a dowel 12 rises from the top lift 11 and is received in a guide tube 13 mounted in the lower end of the heel 1, the sleeve 9 surrounding the lower end of the heel 1 and the upper end of the top lift 11. It will be understood that adhesive is employed in anchoring all of the elements in position, such as the sleeve 9, the dowel 12 and the tubular member 13.

In the form of invention illustrated in FIG. 6, the shoe heel is similar to the disclosure in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sleeve 9 having the inwardly directed bead 9a interfitting with the top lift 15 and in this top lift the head 14a of a metallic pin 14 is embedded, the pin 14 extending upwardly into the tubular member 13 secured in the body of the shoe heel 1. Again, an adhesive is employed for securing all pants together.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein, such as will fall Within the scopeof the invention as claimed. 0

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a heel having alower terminal hearing surface, a lift juxtaposed 2011 the flower bearing surface of said heel, and a rigid centering and securing sleeve compressively circumposed about thejuxtaposed surfaces of said heel and lift, said rigid sleeve being of unitary construction and terminating above the adjacent surface of said lift and rigidly connected to said heel.

2. In combination, a heel'having a lowerterminal hearing surface, a lift juxtaposed on the lower bearing surface of said heel, and a rigid centering an'd'securing sleeve compressively circumposed about the juxtaposedsur'faces of said heel and lift, said rigid sleeve being of unitary construction and terminating above the adjacent surface of said lift and rigidly connected to said heel, and an inwardly directed annular flange on the inner side of the sleeve intermediate the upper and lower ends of the sleeve and embedded in the top lift intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this .patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,767,488 Meltzer Oct. 23, 1956 3,043,024 Hang Jttly 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 960,159 Franoe Oct. 17, 1949 557,100 Belgium May 15, 1957 1,099,393 I Germany Feb. 9, '1961 

1. IN COMBINATION, A HEEL HAVING A LOWER TERMINAL BEARING SURFACE, A LIFT JUXTAPOSED ON THE LOWER BEARING SURFACE OF SAID HEEL, AND A RIGID CENTERING AND SECURING SLEEVE COMPRESSIVELY CIRCUMPOSED ABOUT THE JUXTAPOSED SURFACES OF SAID HEEL AND LIFT, SAID RIGID SLEEVE BEING OF UNITARY CONSTRUCTION AND TERMINATING ABOVE THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF SAID LIFT AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID HEEL. 